Appointments

We aim to provide efficient access to medical care for all our patients. In order to balance the demand with the supply of nurse and doctor time available, we allow 10 minute appointments for each patient. This is in line with the national average. Inevitably, some patients do require longer than 10 minutes and as a result a doctor's surgery may run late.

The Practice has developed a ‘Guide to Appointments’ booklet to help patients access our services appropriately. The booklet explains how we aim to meet your routine and acute needs and where and how you can access help and advice. This booklet can be accessed by clicking on the following link Guide to Appointments. You can also pick up a copy of the booklet from the Practice.

Why our Reception Team will ask you for details of your problem when requesting an appointment

Our reception team are very experienced and if you need to book an appointment over the phone they will ask you for brief details about your problem. Please see the attached poster that explains why our GPs require our reception team to ask you for these details Telephone Appointment Information

Routine Appointments

We book routine appointments up to 3 weeks in advance with the doctor of your choice, if available. In addition, for urgent appointments, we run a "Same-Day Clinic". This clinic deals with new health problems, which need to be seen on the same day. For example, new chest infections, acute pain or otherwise urgent problems can be seen in the Same-Day Clinic. A reoccurrence of a long-term problem should be seen in routine clinics.

Urgent Problems

Each day, a nurse specialist and doctor is reserved for the urgent calls for that day. The receptionist may need some information about the complaint, in order to direct the patient to the correct clinic. For sensitive subjects, please tell the receptionist that the problem is personal.

Telephone Appointments

Telephone appointment calls are also available to book if you would prefer to discuss a health issue, such as the result of a test, on the telephone. These may also be offered as an alternative to face to face appointments where appropriate.

Chaperones

All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present for any consultation, examination or procedure where they feel one is required. This chaperone may be a family member or friend. You may prefer a formal chaperone to be present, i.e. a trained member of staff.

Your healthcare professional may also require a chaperone to be present for certain consultations in line with our chaperone policy.

Golden Rules for Appointments

If you decide that your appointment is no longer needed, please ring up and cancel so that someone else can have the appointment instead.

Does more than one family member need to see the doctor? If so, please make a separate appointment for each person.

If you have several different problems to discuss, feel free to make a list, but be prepared to discuss the most important issues first. If there isn't enough time in the 10 minute slot, it might be necessary to make another appointment.

On-Line Booking for GP Appointments

We offer an on-line appointment facility, where you are able to book appointments of your choice with a doctor, live and direct into our appointment system as well as order repeat medication. On-line access can either be arranged directly at the Surgery or via the following Patient Access link .

In order to book an on-line appointment with a doctor, you must request on-line registration in person with a receptionist or on the website directly. Each member of the family will need to be registered separately. As part of registration, you will need to present at the Surgery with a form of photographic ID. You can bring this in with you at the time of registration, if you are registering directly at the Surgery. If you do not have any form of photographic ID, please contact the Surgery and we will endeavour to help.

If you register direct on Patient Access via our website, you will need to present at either Surgery with a form of photographic ID before the full range of options are made available to you. This can either be done before or after setting up your on-line registration.

Home Visits

For home visits, please call the surgery reception before 11:00

Attleborough Surgeries - 01953 453166

Patients should only request a home visit if they are genuinely housebound and too unwell to come to the surgery. A doctor may call you to discuss your problem. If the doctor decides that a visit is necessary this will usually occur after morning or evening surgery.

The ability to properly examine the patient and to access computerised records and medical equipment necessary in modern general practice is only available at the surgery. In addition, your doctor can usually see several patients at the surgery in the time that it takes to make a single home visit.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.